English champions Northampton and Heineken Cup runners-up Saracens have been handed tough European draws next season.

Saints, who beat Saracens in last month's Premiership final, will be in Pool Five of the new European Rugby Champions Cup alongside Racing Metro, Ospreys and Treviso. Saracens, meanwhile, are in Pool One with Munster, Clermont Auvergne and Sale Sharks, which is arguably the hardest group.

Elsewhere, Harlequins are in Pool Two alongside Leinster, Castres and Wasps, while Leicester face last month's Heineken Cup winners Toulon, Ulster and Scarlets, with Bath in Pool Four, where they join Glasgow, Montpellier and Toulouse.

Toulon will start as favourites in their pool, although trips to Leicester and Belfast have trouble written all over them.

And Bath, the 1998 Heineken Cup winners, must overcome a twin French heavyweight threat of four-time Heineken Cup champions Toulouse and Montpellier.

The five pool winners and three best runners-up will secure quarter-final places.